The Mersey family at Bignor Park care deeply about the environment and encouraging wildlife. We have now converted over five hundred acres of the estate to organic.
With the help of a grant from Natural England, and the support and advice of the National Park Authority and Sussex Wildlife Trust, we have reverted over one hundred acres back to heathland and acid grassland (over the last hundred years thousands of acres of heathland have disappeared in England, representing a huge loss to the natural habitat of a wide range of species). It is now grazed by the Dallyn’s organic cattle and sheep in order to encourage a habitat for among others: ground-nesting birds, woodlarks, stone chats, Dartford warblers, insects such as the rare field cricket, digger wasps, minotaur beetles, tiger beetles, silver-studded blue butterflies and of course flora such as heather. Over three kilometres of new hedgerows have also been planted.
We are also carrying out a parkland restoration project, following a plan drawn up by Dr Phillip Masters of ACTA (whose CV includes the management plan for Avebury World Heritage site). The lake has been desilted and shallows created to encourage aquatic life, and a programme begun for managing copses and roundels and replanting parkland trees. Chestnut coppice is encouraged where possible as part of a forestry programme managed by Ian Odin, former head of forestry at West Dean, with help from the Forestry Commission.
In recognition of this work Bignor Park was awarded the Woodpecker Trophy for Conservation at the 2010 South of England Show. And the task continues!
Natural England
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/
South Downs National Park
http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/
Sussex Wildlife Trust
http://www.sussexwt.org.uk
West Dean
http://www.westdean.org.uk/
Forestry Commission
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/